Control mechanism for oil-burning space heaters



Y April 24, 1951 E. D. HILLEBRAND ETAL 2,550,478

CONTROL NECHANISN Foa OIL BURNING SPACE HEATERS Filed June l0, 1947cNVNToFL (flT-rdRNEYJ Patented Apr. 24, 1951 STATES TENT omer;

vCONTROL MECHANISMFOR OIL-BURNING SPACE HEATERS --Earl D. Hllebrand andJohn R. Fulmer, Kanka- .-kee, Ill., assignors to .Florence StoveCompany,

Gardner, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application-JunelO,1947,lfSe1ial No.' 753,684 2 Claims. (01,.161-7) ."The inventionrelatestoiconti'ol mechanismfor l fand more particularly .timed controlof the .Qladwtedtto)Operatewitha ow control valve of thejtypexcomfmonly`used :in oil burning space i heaters without interfering with thenormal'func- Y.ltionllgaofftheValve and which is settable to regstrictthefheater to .,low.` fire operation for a predeterminedrperiod andthen-automatically adjust the valvegfortoperating theburner at a presethigh ire level.

l eis-'ealsofaniobjectofthe invention to provide `bur er lcontrol .meanswhich is ,simple and inexpensiveinconstruction, which is foolproof inop- .geration fandwhich,permits 4accurately timed con- ;ltrolitof,theoperation ofjan Loil burning space #heafl's i2 .through ,a pipe ,8..y he ;tank-6 Lis preferably "mounted at a higher levelthan .thevalve toprou '.videvfor. gravity flow ofthe fuel oil.

The float valve 5 may be ofany suitablechar- 5 acter,. as forexamplaavalve .ofthe generahtype :disclosed in U. S.PatentfNo..2.,120,36f iggranted .June.14i-, 1938,.to;Roy W. Johnson..Spchgvalves areprovidedwith a casing I0 enclosing a metering valve Iitogether with float control means 1:10 for maintaining a constant headofoil Within the casingzto insurea uniform., flow; of V:,oil1toatl'ie iburner. 'l -I Y,

In the particular .valve mechanismfillustrated,

the .metering vvalve II comprises :a 4.plunger |22 #'15 -slidableaxiallyiina tubular body. I3 to varythe .effective area ofaportI'llthrough whichtheoil .passes on'itsway to theburner. `The plungerislfyieldably urged-in adirection to..opentheeport Iii by .a spring l5interposed .between a partition- 20 ing member I within the casing 1li).andamen- ,;-@-ther'obj.ects andadvantages of the invention.becomeiapparentifrom the following detailed `frieseription.ofthepreferred embodiment illusgtratedwinlthe;accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure l `isaperspectiveview'of control mechafnis-mfembodying the`features of the invention and 53,0 --enclosed showing the mannerin'swhich themechanism is yinstalled; in an- 4oil` burning space heater.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectioned side view of the control `mechanism showingthe .parts set for high .fire operation.

,Figl. `3 is a partly sectioned sideview ,of the con- .,trolmechanismshowing theparts set for lowvre operation.

l While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, weg@ have shown. in thejdrawings .and willherein de- `of:a-pipe landriowsfrom.thevalve.to the burner 55 AYscribein. detail thepreferred embodiment,'but it :larged head. Il formed on orrigidly securedtonthe upperend of theplunger.

Cooperating with .the plunger I2 is atleveriili Y-pivotally supported atone end A-within .the leasing by a shaft 2| and havinga downwardlyoffset ALarm .'22 overlying the plunger and engag-ing'a"v pin f; 23projecting from1 the i upper end thereof. The arni maycbeextendegdbeyond. the valve forgcooperation .with other .controlinstrumentalities in thecasing Ill with which.the.present inventionzisnot concerned.

Forv adjusting the metering valve: II vtonregulate theow of oil totheburner,I a rod 25 is threaded through the'top of the casing lllwithitsinner end. positionedL for `engagement 'with the'lfree iend of thelever 2F). Accordingly;J by screwingtherod into or out oilthe casing,the .valveimember I2 .smay be movednp or dov/n .to progressivelyinlcrease or decrease the eiective'area .of Ythe'port Iii.

The above described adjustments of the.Y metering Yvalve 'lI arenecessarily eiectedfmanually. =.'Ihus theadjustine rod is screwedn.to;alrnost `closevthe valve port I4 when it is desired to opzerate theburner atlowiirelevel. vWhenxmore heatv is required, `the rod is screwedG ut to open the Valve port I@ and thereby increaseiherate Afof.fuel;fioW- to the;;burner, the latter operating-.at

highre,levelf-whenztlfle I.valvegport is substantially 1 fully opened.

.In accord-ance .with athe invention, vtiming eansvisassociatedwith-*the metering valve l5 vrin a novel manner, wherebythechange fromlow re to highre operation may be. effected automatically ataselectedand preset. time. Forthis 4purposea suitablegtimingdevice 3D ismounted on the valve casing I and valve actuating means is interposedbetween the valve member I2 and the timing device to enable the latterto maintain the valve member in substantially closed or low fireposition for a selectively variable time interval and to thereafterrelease the valve member for movement to the open or high nre position.Under those conditions, Vthe adjusting rod 25 serves as an adjustablestop for determining one limit position of the valve member, that is,the high re position. To dene the low re position of the metering valvethe arm 22 is provided with a stop screw 3l adapted to engage a fixedabutment 32 in the valve casing and thus limit the movement of the lever2 toward the valve closing position.

The timer 33 may be of any suitable type, as, for example, a simple,inexpensive spring driven twelve-hour timer of the type in general use.The timer as shown comprises a shaft 33 adapted to be rotated manuallyto selected set positions and then returned from such set positions to anormal rest position at a predetermined rate by spring driven mechanism.The timer'shaft is journaled in and projects from the under side of ahousing 34 which serves to enclose the driving mechanism. A settingmember 35 in the form of a rod projects from the upper side of the hous-111g. e In the exemplary control mechanism, the means through which thetimer operates to actua-te the metering valve II comprises a `cam 35fast on the lower end of the timer shaft 33, a lever 31 adapted to berocked by the cam and a sliding member or pin 38 for transmitting themovement of the lever to the valve actuating lever 25. As'herein shown,the lever 31 is formed with an offset end section 39 adapted to seatagainst a at surface 40 formed on the underside of a boss 4I, dependingfrom the timer housing 34. The end section of the lever is apertured tolooselyreceive a screw 42 threaded into thev boss 4I and a spring 43interposed between the head of the screw and the lever yieldably holdsit flat against the surface 4a, as shown in Fig. 2.

At its free endv the lever 31 is provided with an adjustable stop screw44 cooperating with the upper wall of the casing I to limit themovements of the lever toward the operated position in which it is shownin Fig. 3. The pin 38 is retained in an aperture in the top of the valvecasing I6 with its lower end resting on the arm 22 of the valveactuating lever 20 and the downward movement of the lever 31 is thustransmitted through the pin and lever 20 to the metering valve memberI2. y

For rocking the lever 31 to the operated position and for retaining itin such position for a predetermined timed interval, theV cam 35 isformed to provide a cam track cooperating with a follower pin 45 rigidwith the lever. The cam track as shown comprises an annular flat surface45 perpendicular to the axis of the timer shaft 33.!and an upwardlyoffset or recessed surface 41 v.connected together by an inclinedsurface 43.`

The arrangement is such that when the timer is at the Zero or normalrest position, the cam surface '41 is presented for engagement by thefollower` 45 and the spring 43 is effective to hold the lever 31 in theretracted position shown in Fig. 2. The metering valve is held in itsopen or highfire position, as defined by the stop 25, through the actionof the'spring I5.

As the rod 35 is `rotated to set the timer, the

vcam 36 is turned (from right to left as viewed in Fig. 2), causing thefollower 45 to ride up the cam surface 48 and onto the flat surface 4B,whereby the lever 31 is rocked to the operated position shown in Fig. 3.This movement is transmitted through the member 38 and lever 20 to themetering valve member I 2, which is accordingly shifted to the low fireposition defined by the adjustable stop 3I. In practice, the stop screw3| is set so that the valve is able to pass only suincient oil to keenthe burner in operation.

The metering valve is maintained in the low fire position with thefollower 45 riding on the cam surface 46 until the cam is turned backalmost to its normal rest position by the action of the timer drivingmechanism. As the cam approaches its rest position, the follower 45rides down the cam surface 48 and thus permits the metering valve toopen and increase the rate of oil flow to the burner yvery gradually, soas to allow the burner to heat up suiiciently to hanelle a maximumsupply of fuel. Delivery of excess fuel to the burner with its resultantsmoke and carbon formation is thus eliminated.

The improved control means is adapted to be mounted on the casing 5U ofan oil burning heater in the manner shown in Fig. 1. As the oat valve 5is intended to be located substantially at the same level as the burner,that is, near the base of the heater, the stop rod 25 and the timersetting rod 35 are extending upwardly for convenient access near the topof the heater. As herein shown, the rods are arranged to project through'a suitable guide 5I on the back of the casing 35 and are provided withknobs 52 and 53 for manual manipulation. Graduated scales on the guidecooperate with the knobs to visually indicate the setting of themetering valve I I and the setting of the timer 3l).

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the invention providescontrol mechanism of a novel and advantageous character. Throughthenovel arrangementof a simple timing device with a conventional floatvalve, the heater may be set for low re operation for a predeterminedinterval, as, for example, through the night, and is automaticallyadjusted for high fire operation at the proper time. The advantages ofthis mode cf operation will be readily appreciated as it permits theheater to be turned up for maximum heat production at a desired timewithout manual intervention. The mechanism is simple and inexpensive inconstruction and foolproof in operation.

We claim as our invention:

l. A control mechanism for oil burners comprising, in combination, ametering valve having a member movable between high re and low firepositions for regulating the flow of oil to a burner, spring meansyieldably urging said valve member toward the high fire position, meansfor adjusting the position of said valve member within predeterminedlimits including a shiftable control element, lever means interposedbetween said control element and said valve member, stop means coactingwith said lever to define one of said limits, a timer adapted to be setfor varying time intervals, said timer having a cam shiftable through arange corresponding to the setting of the timer and returned to a restposition at the end of the interval for which the timer is set, andother lever means interposed betweengsaid first-mentioned lever meansand said cam operable to move said valve member to the low fire positionwhen said cam is shifted from said rest position, said valve memberbelto rest posit n.

t interposed between said control element ing released the control ofsaid springmeans and said contilelement upon return o said cam prising,in" ybination, a metering val 'e having a membe ovable between highiirrand low fire positions or regulating the flow offoil to a burner,sprin member toufarih the high re position, adjusting th; position ofsaid valve me ber including a shiy able control element, lev

valve member', 'an adjustable stop mernb E ing movemento said levertoward lovvfiire posidapted to be set for varyng time intervals and`acting through said levey eans in response to sich setting to move saidvalve memmechanism for oil burners com- 5 spring means and said controlelement.

v' EARL D. HILLEBRAND. n

JOHN R. FULMER.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Number Name' Date 2,120,364` Johnson June 14,1938 s Hauser Mar. 27, 1945 ber to the low fire position irrespective ofthe position of said control element, said timer acting aftertheinterval for which it was set to release said valve member to thecontrol of said

